


Helpful

by MouseFantoms



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29554272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MouseFantoms/pseuds/MouseFantoms
Summary: Reggie playing his part of a ghost and being a helpful one towards Ray. However because of his helpfulness, Ray begins to become suspicion that something might be going on in his house. One of the signs of helpfulness happens and he looks to his children for answers. Answers are only found when he follows his daughter out to the place where she spends majority of her time.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters, Carlos Molina & Julie Molina, Carlos Molina & Julie Molina & Ray Molina, Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina & Ray Molina
Kudos: 54





	Helpful

Either Ray was a forgetful person or something else was going on.

It had started when the items he seemed to misplace, seemed to suddenly appear in the most obvious of places. Even though he was 100% sure that he had already checked there.

Such as the time when he had padded his pockets down before leaving for work and realized his wallet was missing. He would normally recruit one of his kids for help but the two were currently at school. Maybe it had fallen between the couch cushions? Nope. Maybe the computer desk? He did a quick scan and nope, not there either. Maybe the dining table? He did place his laptop there to do work sometimes, it made sense it might- not there either. Where on Earth was it? Perhaps he didn’t check the cough throughly enough. He went back to the living room and as soon as he entered his eyes landed to the corner of the computer desk. Right there, placed on the corner, in plain view, was his leather wallet.

He thought it was a little odd considering he had just checked there. He was more so concerned about getting to his job on time and took the wallet off the table and in his back pocket and out the door he went to his job.

If the wallet incident was the only occasion, he probably would have let it slid. However, that was not the only incident. It seemed to only happened when he verbally said what he was missing… odd. A few misplaced things being found here and there could fully well be him being forgetful. Or maybe something else was going on in his house.

~~~

“Julie,” Ray requested after his daughter got up from the table to put her plate in the sink that was full of dirty dishes, “your turn.”

“I know, I know.” She said in response to her dad reminding her to do a chore. “Just let me-”

“Ah uh.” He blocked the archway that lead to the dining room. “When you go out there you lose track of time.”

He didn’t mind that she was spending so much time in the garage, it was the constant reminder of his wife, her mother, after all. The only time he did mind was when it got in the way of Julie’s chores.

“Sorry, I get caught up with band things. I just need to grab something I left in there earlier. I’ll come right back in and do the dishes. Promise.”

He dropped his hands from the doorframe and let her pass since he knew she would keep her word. He didn’t know what kept her in there for hours, she would say band things but how much could get done in there by herself? Maybe he could ask for more information about her band at a later time. Preferably about the sleeveless one.

A few minutes later, after he had sat at the computer desk to check his work emails, he heard the back door. Julie came around the kitchen corner and stopped by the bottom of the staircase to talk to him.

“I told you I would be right back.” She let out, her backpack strung on her shoulder, the item she had gone to retrieve. “You didn’t have to do them.”

He looked quizzical. “What?”

“The dishes. I said I would be-”

She paused her sentence seeing him get up from the desk and walk passed her. They both looked in and saw the now empty sink that was once piled with dirty dishes.

“How did…? I never…?”

“Uh…” Julie said in response to Ray’s clear confusion. “Maybe Carlos did them…” she trailed off, he could tell she didn’t fully believe herself either.

“You know your brother.”

“Well… at least they’re done now.” She set her bag down on the floor.

“Where are you-”

“Forgot something else!” She called as she rounded the corner and went out the back door again, this time looking like she was annoyed.

~~~

“Did- did you…?” Ray asked to his son in response to opening the fridge to get breakfast ready for his kids on the Saturday morning. He knew what he alluded to wasn’t the answer, he knew his son, but was looking for one.

Carlos was sat at the stool of the kitchen counter, seeing his dad open the fridge in plain view. “Maybe Tia brought it?”

Ray held a clear plastic wrapped paper plate of scrabbled eggs in his hand.

He shook his head. “She didn’t bring this.”

“Maybe it’s a ghost.”

“What?”

“The chef ghost.”

“I thought we did his ‘unfinished business’.”

“Maybe it wasn’t.” He shrugged.

Julie came down the stairs into the kitchen. “Eggs?”

“Dad found them in the fridge.” Her brother informed.

“Tia didn’t bring them.” Ray added.

He could have sworn he saw his daughter looking next to him, passed the kitchen island, by the stove. Then her face turned to an annoyed one. Her eyes went back to her dad.

“Maybe you-“

“AHHHHH!” A unison shriek came from the family of three hearing the noise the toaster made.

He dropped the paper plate on the island and went over to the toaster. From the toaster popped up evenly toasted bread.

“I’m telling you it’s probably the ghost.” Ray didn’t catch the elbow hit that Julie did to her brother. “Chef ghost!” He corrected.

“That’s not-” he began to shake his head even though the toast he picked up was not a good point to prove his arugment.

“I didn’t put the toast in, you didn’t put the toast in, Julie didn’t.”

Ray saw from the corner of his eye Julie get a frustrated look and walk away. He looked over his shoulder, saw her go around the corner and heard the back door. He looked to Carlos for some answer.

“Maybe the haunting is too much for her.” He found an excuse.

He dropped the toast back into the device it came from.

“Don’t eat that.” He didn’t need to even look at his son to know he had already grabbed the food he dropped back in. “We don’t know where it’s been.” He advised before going out the back door himself to follow his daughter.

~~~

“Reggie…”

The one in question fell off the couch once Julie closed the door.

“I was being helpful!” He put his palms up in defense.

Luke looked down at his friend on his right who was on the floor and back to Julie, who was clearly irrated based on her crossed arms. He was on the couch with his leg rested on the coffee table in front of him, journal open in his lap, pen in hand.

“What’d he do this time?” Alex asked sat in the chair by the couch, fiddling with his drum sticks.

“I don’t mind you being helpful,” she dropped her arms, stepping closer to the couch, “but when my dad is around-”

“Helpful?” Luke asked wanting more information. “Wait did you do the dishes again?” Recalling the night Julie came back into the garage after getting her backpack. She had given Reggie a warning about being helpful when other people were around.

“No, he made us eggs.”

Alex gasped looking down Reggie on the floor. “You made them your eggs? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“We wouldn’t be able to eat them anyways.” He put his arms on the edge of the couch and pushed himself back up next to Luke. “Did you get the toast?”

“You could have warned me. Instead of all of us screaming when it popped up.”

“You glared at me when you found out about the eggs. I poofed out because I panicked.”

“Understandable.” Luke sided with Reggie. “Julie’s glares are-” his eyes looked up to the girl who had now re-crossed her arms, looking to hear his answer. “…Understandable.” He repeated not wanting to get in trouble looking back down to the open page in his lap.

“If any of you are going to be ‘helpful’,” she put in air quotes, “be careful when my dad’s around.”

“Maybe you could tell him about us.” Alex suggested Luke’s old one. “Your brother knows, it’s gone pretty well so far.”

“Except for his constant questions.” Luke input.

“He gets so excited though whenever we pick something up.” Reggie countered.

Julie added. “Also when he asks if any of you are in the room.”

“Flynn knows.” Alex added onto his suggestion. “It’s gone well too.”

“I had to tell Flynn though,” she was contemplating the idea, “Carlos found out on his own. What am I supposed to tell him? ‘Hey Dad, the boys in my band are ghosts that live in our garage. The one who’s been helping around the house, that’s Reggie. I didn’t tell you do so long because you would have me visiting Dr. Turner again.’?”

“…well if you want to put it brief.” Luke nodded.

“Just all of you be careful if you’re in the house when my dad’s around.” She repeated to them and headed to the door. She froze once she opened it.

“We can talk about it later,” Ray addressed what he overheard, “but thank you Reggie.” He peaked his head into the studio, looking around to hopefully meet the eyes of the helpful ghost so he knew how appreciative he was. “Is he at the couch?”

“Umm…” he knew his daughter was obviously at a lose of words as a result of him now knowing this information. “…yeah…” she finally said, “How’d… How’d you know?”

“Well, there’s a pen and book floating, also a drumsticks above the chair.”

She looked back at the couch. To her it was the familiar sight of Luke with his journal and pen in hand and Alex with his sticks. To anyone else, they would appear to be objects floating. She turned back to her dad.

“Yeah he’s at the couch. Luke had the journal and pen, Reggie’s next to him and Alex has the sticks.”

He nodded. “Why don’t you come back inside and have some breakfast?”

“You’re taking this rather well.”

He shrugged. “They brought music back to my little girl. How else am I supposed to respond?”

A smile appeared on her face. “Yeah they’re pretty great.” She followed her dad back to the house once closing the garage door behind her. She knew questions would follow, some she had answers to and other’s she didn’t, but it was nice not having to keep them a secret from him anymore.

It was nice to know he wasn’t being forgetful and that something else was truly going on. Out of all the things that could have been going on, having his daughter be in a ghost band, one where one of them is apperently an extra hand around the house, that wasn’t the worst option.

A smile was on her face whenever she was with her band. A smile he hadn’t seen in over a year. The way she was eager to go to the garage everyday. The passion all of them had showed through in their performances. He might not have known all the details yet but what he did know was that her band made her happy and that was enough for him.


End file.
